The Sun. — London, England, 1864-06-11 00:00:00

HOUSE OF LORDS—Last Evening, The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at five o'clock. COUNTY COURTS BILL. The Earl of DERBY presented petitions from places in Lancashire against this bill. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The Earl of Abergavenny Cathr i d ra l Economy Fund—Downs Dock—London and Brighto a and South Coast Railway (new line Battersea)—and Brighton and South Coast Railway (Steamboats)—Rammell'o. Patent Clyde Navigation Metropolitan Railway (A dditional Powers)—Metropolitan Railway (Notting -hill Extension) —Alton, Alresford, and Winchester Railway bills were read a second time. The Befast Central Railway—Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway—Tendring Hundreds--Ribblesdale Railway —Edinburgh and Glasgow and Alloa Railway Companies—Okehampton Railway—North and South Western Junction—Stockton and Middlesborough Water —Nottingham Gas, and Lancaster Board of Health bills were read a third time and passed. THE QUEEN'S MESSAGE. Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY said owing to the noble earl, the President of the Council, and the noble duke, the First Lord of the Admiralty, not having returned from Windsor, he begged to move the postponement of the con sideration of the first order of the day—viz., her Majesty's message with respect to the pension to the Countess of Elgin, and the grant to Sir R. Hill, until Monday next, The motion was agreed to. CHAIN CABLES AND ANCHORS BILL. The Earl of HARD WICKE moved the second reading of this bill. Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY said he entirely approved of the bill, which would prove exceed.. ingly useful in tending to diminish the great lo ss o f ves sels in the mercantile marine in consequence o f t h e use of defective chain cables. Wi th regard to th e exemption of the Admiralty from the provisions of the bill he could only say that every chain cable after it was received from the contractor was properly tested before it was put on board one of her Majesty's ships, The bill was read a second time, INSANE PRISONERS' AMENDMENT BILL. The report of amendments to this bill was brought up and received. CHIMNEY BTVEZP.ER3' BEGCT.GA.TIOX BILL. This bill was read a third time and passed. COURT OF JUSTICIARY (SCOTLAND) BILL. This bill passed through committee. GREENWIUH HOSPITAL. The Earl of HARDWICKE called attention to the letter of Sir Richard Bromley to the Duke of Somerset on the re form of the government of Greenwich Hospital. The noble earl said there was an institution in the country which was much cherished by the whole nation, and when it was Pointed out to foreigners, they were told it was England's gratitude to her worn-out seamen. This institution was, as far as money went, exceedingly wealthy, as it possessed an estate of nearly five millions. This charity, he said, was sick, and had been so for years, and the malady with which it was afflicted was known as the house divided against itself. Public attention had been called to this state of matters by the publication of a letter by Sir Richard Bromley to the First Lord of the Ad miralty respecting a reform in the management of the charity. The gallant writer said that until unanimity pre vailed in the council, a state of matters detrimental to England's worn-out defenders would prevail, and that could only be done by able men being placed at the head of the government of the institution. Ile hoped the noble lord would inform the public what was intended to be done for the future. The Duke of SOMERSET said he shared in the great desire that the funds of Greenwich Hospital should be properly expended. He did not think that it was well to draw men in middle life away from their families, and crowd them together in a monastic sort of building at Greewich. He did not propose therefore to build model lodging houses for;marr ied seamen, as the commissioners proposed, or to take other measures which they suggested for attracting and concentrating men at Greenwich, lie believed it would be much better to confine the hospital to its original purpose of receiving disabled and helpless sea men. He would also retain the naval schcols in connec tion with the hospital, which had worked so well of recent years. He proposed to keep a part of the hospital, so that in case of a great war we might not be without an: hos pital for our seamen. As to the rest of the building he desired to take some further time to consider what would be the best way to nee it. By this means he should find himself in possession of an income over and above that re quired for keeping up the hospital to the extent, for the purposes he had described, of £70,000 or £BO,OOO, which he believed would be far more usefully employed in the grant of pensions on which seamen might live in their native towns, and amongst their own friends, than in keeping them together at Greenwich, where they all said they did not wish to be. By this means moreover, wa should be able to encourage and reward the beat and most respect able class of our seamen, who did not receive any benefit from Greenwich Hospital, which they were strongly dis inclined to enter. He also proposed to abolish the present double government of the hospital, and vest in a single board. Lord COLCHESTER said that tho statement of the noble duke was highly satisfactory. After a few words from the Earl of SHREWSBURY and the Earl of HARDWICK; The Earl of DERBY asked if it was intended to divert a certain part of the funds of the hospital to the reward of men who had deserved well of their country. This might be a very desirable object in itself, but he did not think it was consistent with the charter of the hospital under which it was endowed for the benefit of sick and disabled seamen. The Duke of SOMERSET said that he did not intend more than this, that by the adoption of the plan which he proposed they would be able, while distributing the funds of the hospital amongst those for whom it was designed, to encourage a class of seamen whom it was very desirable to encourage, but who, as he had mentioned, would not enter the hospital. After some further conversation the subject dropped, and the house adjourned. HOUSE OP COMMONS.---Last Evening, The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a third time and passed London and South Western Railway (North Devon Exten sions)— tilverscon Gas—and West Sussex Junction Rail• way. BELFAS r IMPROVEMENT (No. 2) BILL. On the motion fot the third reading of this bill, Mr MAGUIRE said that he had again to apply to the house for a postponement of this bill. He travelled over the ground that he had originally taken in order to show that there was argument for the postponement of the bill, as a strong feeling existed in Belfast against its provisions, Which was developed by the fact that no leas than £20,000 had been subscribed by the Protestant as well asthe Roman Catholic party to defeat the measure, which was ob noxious to the inhabitants of Belfast generally. The feeling was that the object of the bill was to enable the Corporation of Belfast to disfranchise a larger body of the inhabitants. He contended that a public and not a private bill was necessary in dealing with the subject of the present measure, Which was tao important to be disposed of by priv ate legislation. Mr. WHITESIDE denied the a ccuracy of the statement i of the hon. member for Dungannon the unpopularity of the bill, the necessity°r• Maguire) as to for w hi ch he said was admitted by the inhabitants of Belfast, n o t withstanding the stat emen t o f t h e h on . mem ber for Dungann on to the contrary. After some further discussion the amendment was With, drawn, and the bill was read a third time and passed. DUBLIN IMPROVEMENT BILL, On the order of the day for the consideration of this bill, Sir E. GROGAN moved several amendments, and en tered into details to establish the necessity of the course which he advocated. Sir P. O'BRIEN, as having been connected with the corporation of Dublin, vindicated this body from the impli cation of being actuated by any unfair motive in regard to this bill. After some discussion a division took place en the ques tion of an amendment to the effect that there should he a certain omission from the bill, exempting the corporation from the liabilities specified in the body of the bill. The house divided and the amendment was negatived, the numbers being— For the amendment Against it Majority Mr. VANCE then moved that the bill should be recom mitted, which led to another discussion and another divi sion. For the amendment .. 167 Against it Majority -11 The bill was accordingly considered, and ordered for third reading. GOVERNMENT MANUFACTORIES. Mr COBDEN gave notice that on an early day he would draw attention to what be considered an extravagant ex meannditureufactorie on the part o f Government in rega r d t o p u bli c s. THE CONFERENCE. Mr. DISRAELI asked the noble lord at the head of the Government for somo explanation relative to the suspension for a fortnight of the sitting of the Conference. Lord PALMERSTON said that he was not in a posi tion to state to what day the sitting of the Conference was adjourned. The time to which the armistice extended was in conformity with the wishes of the Danish Government. Mr D. GRIFFITH asked the First Lord of the Trea. sury whether it is understood that no further extension would be p resse d upon D enmar k b y the British G overn _ ment in case the Conference should not come to a final agreement within the limits of the additional fortnight to which the duration of the Conference is now extended ? Lord PALMERSTON was understood to _answer in the negative, PRIVATE BILLS. On the order of the day for going into committee of supply, Lord R. CECIL moved that, in the opinion of the house, it was expedient that the duty of ascertaining the facts upon wi'Aich legislation in respect to private bhls was to proceed , Jhould be discharged by some tribunal eat rt.& to the house. He contended that there was the strongest 11 , . ceseity for the alteration which he proposed. Mr GIBSON admitted that the existing system entailed very arduous duties upon hon. members; still, whatever might be done to meet the objections raised on that ground, it was necessary that there should be an ultimate appeal to Parliament. He did not believe that dissatisfaction existed out of doors at the decisions of committees, and he feared that if any suggestion such as was now made, or of which they had heard previously were carried out, the result would be merely to create additional impediments to and conse quently increase the expense of private bill legislation. The discussion was continued by Colonel Patten, Lord Stanley, Mr Lowe, Mr R. Hodgson, Mr R. Dutton, and other members, the balance of opinion being that the exist ing system was very far from perfect and required amend ment. There was not the same concurrence of mind as to the best method of improving it; for whilst some contended that the committees on private bills should act as a jury with the chairman as judge, others advocated the plan of Lord R. Cecil, and all urged that it was desirable that where great public works ware concerned the members of the com mittee should possess a knowledge of the localities. Ultimately the motion was withdrawn, a division being impossible without counting out the house, in consequence of 19 members only being present. Mr J. B. SMI fll moved that the increasing trade and commerce of India, and the consequent increasing demand fora portable circulating medium, requires that a gold cur rency should be established in that empire. The hon. gen tleman observed that constant complaints were received from India with regard to the difficulty experienced in in troducing commodities owing to the absence of a convenient circulating medium, and called upon the Government to state what their intentions on the subject were, Colonel SYKES, speaking from his own personal expe rience, said there was no doubt whatever that the natives of India were quite ready to receive European gold coins pro vided they could be assured of their purity. If a gold coin were introduced, made of pure metal, of a certain weight and certain conventional value, the people would take it but then the Government must consent to accept it in pay ment of taxes at its market value. Sir C. WOOD admitted chat the e subject was interesting and important ; but the paper circulation in India had been very successful, and was accepted by those who were en gaged in commerce there. For gold there was little demand, whilst silver and copper circulated extensively. Even if a gold coinage were established, he doubted whether it would be of any great assistance in conducting mercantile opera tions. What the Indian treasuries desired was that the sovereign should be received by them at a particular rate ; and he did not deny that it would be of advantage if the so vereign of England and of the colonies were circulated in India, and that it would be a great accommodation to trade. The value the treasuries wished to place upon the sovereign was 10 rupees ; but the fact was, that the sovereign was worth more than that in the market, and to adopt the stan dard named by the treasuries would involve a considerable sacrifice. He was unable to ascertain what was the value of gold in the markets of India with such certainty as to place any reliance upon it ; but the memorials upon this subject were under the consideration of the Government of India. He could not therefore undertake to give an assur ance of what he was disposed to do until he had received their opinion. After some remarks from Mr WATICIN and Mr GosoHEN, Ihe motion was withdrawn. EDUCATION. In answer to Mr Durmor, Mr H. BRUCE stated that the Government, having determined upon issuing a com mission to consider if it were not possible to erect a na tional-system of education on the foundation of the old parochial system in Scotland, had come to the conclusion to suspend the revised code until the inquiry had been com pleted, provided, however, that it was completed within 12 months. NAVAL ARCHITECTURE. In reply to Mr A. SMITH, Lord C. PAGET said that the scheme for the organisation of the proposed school of naval architecture had not been concocted by the Admiralty, but by some of the most eminent naval architects in the coun try. The site at South Kensington had been selected for the establishment on account of its economy and eligibility. The house then went into committee of supply. GRANT TO SIR ROWLAND HILL. Her. Majesty's message for granting £20,000 to Sir Row land Hill having been read. Viscount PALMERSTON said—Sir, I trust the house will be disposed, without any objection, to concur in the recommendation of her Majesty which has just been read. (Hear.) Sir Rowland Hill is a man of great genius and great sagacity, and of great perseverance and industry, and who has rendered very important services to this country, and, I may say, to other countries also. Sir R. Hill had observed that the postal department was more a department for the performance of services than a mere department for the collection of revenue ; and,with a boldness which stag. gored a great number of persona who had not looked at the question from the same point of view from which he had regarded it, he recommended a large reduction in the rate of postage, in confidence that in the end it would bring the revenue up to the same amount,seeiag that in the meantime it would confer the greatest possible benefit to the commu nity at large. There were grave doubts about it; many people thought that his expectations were too sanguine, that the number of letters would not increase to the extent he had reckoned, and that the revenue would not recover the great shock which the, reduction to a Lenny would create. These predictions were falsified, and all his cal culations turned out to be correct, (Cheers.) He has for nearly a quarter of a century performed the very arduous duties which devolved on him in the execution of his scheme. He is now at a time of life when his health can not be supposed to have withstood the effect of the great labour which attached to his office, and the Treasury, on that ground, have given him permission to retire, and they have done that which I am sure the house will look upon with indulgence—they have given him his full salary for life. (Cheers.) He is now in the 70th year of his age, and his health has been shattered by the labours he has had to per form. Under these circumstances, her Majesty has thought that this house would consider that the great services which Sir Rowland Hill hes performed would recommend him for a grant which would enable him to make those arrange ments for his family which the short period daring which Providence may permit him to enjoy his retiring pension would otherwise probably not enable him to make. The result of his labours has really been beneficial beyond that which may strike persons at first sight. It is quite clear that the facility which the penny post has given to all the transactions of commerce, to all the communications con elected with the industry of the country, must have been infinitely advantageous to general industry of the country, and also by that means that the revenue, not of the Post office merely, but the revenue which arises out of the general industry and prosperity of the country. In that point of view he has performed a very great service to the country. But there is another point of view from which his merits should be calculated, namely, the degree of happiness arid comfort which his invention—for I may call it an invention—his plan, has conferred on the poorer classes of the community, upon the millions, and that for a great period of time. When the postage was as high as it was before his plan was introduced, the relatives of poor families who were scattered in diffarect parts of th e country had their communications cut off; for how could a poor labouring man pay is or 6d for a letter ? The communications of families were as difficult if not more difficult, than they are now between England and Aus tralia. Well, sir, the cultivation of the affections is a thing that raises men in their own estimation, which raises them in the standing they occupy in society. It im proves their morals and improves all those qualities which of the country, I tend to make them useful members of society. Therefore, I , Say the merits of Sir Rowland Hill, independently of the to of his plan having contributed to the general prosperity are manifested by its having conferred such thegreat benellta upon all the labouring and poorer classes of emltcni4 itY and entitle him to the approbation and the rewards whien this house may be disposed to confer en him. (Cheers.) In 18 38, the period before his plan came into (oration, th e uniraber of letters transmitted through the post in the course of the•year was 76 millions, while in 1863 the number transmitted V 78.8 642 millions. Now that is a measure of the degree in which that plan had assisted the to the comfort and happiness of t i nh d enc e o t ni ry m a u n u d it c y on in trithb.uistecountry, There are various arrange. ments connected with this plan independent of the mere ; among others, the fad given for money orders l a i m ty o w un h t ic o h f m hi for the transmission of money in small sums from one part orders the country to another. o s ne a y rr p a In 18 38 , the amount of money orders at the Post-office was £315,000. In 1863 it was £16,494,000. (Hear, hear.) . What an immense advantage that must be to the community a . t large— th facility of safe transmission of small sums which otherwise it might be very difficult and expensive to transmit.. Then there is the book post, which is greatly to the interests of literature, and is an arrangement which has been most extensively taken advantage of. The gross revenue of the P ?st-efeee has increased ve r y greatly, b ut o f course the facilities that have been given have multiplied the number of offices, and therefore naturally increased the outgoings. But the gross receipts in 1838 were £2,865,000, while in 1863 they were £38,700,900; therefore showing that Sir Rowland Hill was perfectly borne out in reckoni ng that at no distant period the receipts of the Pest-office would recover the diminution which the first introduction of his plan would naturally create. In p o i n t o f f act, every b o d y is fareillar with the mer it s o f Si r Rowland Hill ' s plan, and with the good effects it has produced ; and I am persuaded the house will willingly concur in the proposal which is now made to them. (Cheers.) _ _ 34r W. WILLIAMS disapproved of the grant, on the ground that Sir Rowland Hill had received so liberal a retiring salary. Mr J. E WART cordially concurred in the vote, believing that Sir Rowland Hill had conferred an immense benefit upon commerce. Mr TURNER believed that the whole community of THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENI Manchester would be most grateful to the noble lord for this propcsal. Mr BAINES said that all the mercantile interests of the country would heartily approve of the vote. Mr CRAWFORD said his constituents in the City of London unanimously declared for the proposal. Mr Matins, Mr Marsh, Mr M. Smith, and 31r Cox like wise strongly supported the motion. Sir F. BARING, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the days when Sir Rowland Hill's plans were sanctioned by Parliament, testified to the great pleasure which he felt at the announcement of the proposal of Government. (Hear, hear.) Mr NEATE, as the private secretary of the right hon. baronet at the period to which he had just adverted, reminded the house that they ought not to forget the part which the right hon. gentleman acted in giving effect to the suggestions of Sir Rowland Hill. (Hear, hear.) Mr HENNESSY asked how it happened that Sir Row. land Hill had never filled other than a subordinate office in the department with which he had been connected ? He ventured to suggest that if there was a place in the Government not directly connected with finance, that ought to have been given to Sir Rowland Hill, that place was the office of Postmaster General. In any other country, per haps, the services of Sir Rowland Hill would have been requited in that manner. Lord PALMERSTON—Sir, there are two very good reasons why I think it would have been no benefit to Sir Rowland Hill to have been made Postmaster General. He would have had no increase of salary while he held the office, and he would have had to go out with the Govern ment. (Laughter.) I just wish to answer one observation made by the hon. gentleman. He said he did not believe the Post-office paid its expenses. Now the net revenue of the Post-office for the year 1863 was £1,793,000, after pay ing expenses. Mr D. GRIFFITH was surprised that the practice had sprung up of appointing peers to an office that was of a strictly commercial and mechanical character, and he wished for information on the subject. Mr J. WHITE said while the noble lord told the house that the Post-office paid to the revenue £1,700,000, he had forgotten that the packet service, which cost £1,000,000, was a legitimate charge on the Post-office. We therefore derived only £700,000 from the Post-office. He did not say this in disparagement of Sir Rowland Hill, but he thought the mistake ought not to pass uncorrected. He should cordially support the vote. The vote was then agreed to without o dicooutiont On the rota of C 66,513 fur the expenses of the Board of Trade and subordinate departments, Mr A. SMITH and Mr WILLIAMS complained of the in crease in the estimate. Mr N. GIBSON said the increase arose from a desire to make the department more efficient. It was also attributable to the increase of business received by the Board of Trade from the Admiralty in connection with harbours, and to the annual increase of the salaries of the clerks. Several places which were vacant had not been filled up. The increase arose from increased business of the department, and the change of organisation had improved its efficiency. He expressed his belief that it would be a great pity if Admiral Fitzroy's department should be given up, until further experience showed whether it was desirable to continue permanently the expenditure for meteorological purposes. Colonel DICKSON had witnessed the accident at Egham, and had seen two men die from want of some apparatus like tools and ropes to extricate them from the rains of the crushed carriages. He suggested that such appliances should be attached to all trains. Mr COX moved te report progress. Mr M. GIBSON ex; lained that the powers of the inspec tors were limited ; but no doubt the remark of the hen, and gallant member would lead to some such precaution being adopted. The motion to report progress was negatived, and the vote agreed to. The next vote was one of £2,908 to pay the salaries and expenses of the office of Lord Privy Seal. Mr COX said after twelve o'clock they ought not to pro ceed with supply, and again moved to report progress. The opmmittee divided— For the motion.... Against it 59 Majority The vote was agreed to. The next vote, of £8,741 for the Civil Service Commis sion, was agreed to. £19,491 was next proposed for the Paymaster-General's Department. The vote was agreed to, and the house resumed. The report on Lady Elgin's Annuity was brought up and agreed to, and leave given to found a bill thereon. The report of the Greek Loan of £4,000 was brought up and agreed to after some discussion, and leave given to bring in a bill. WEIGHING OF GRAIN (PORT OF LONDON) BILL. Mr CRAWFORD, on resuming the adjourned debate on the second reading of this bill, proposed that if the house agreed to the second reading, he would consent to have the bill referred to a select committee upstairs. Colonel DICKSON moved the adjournment of the debate. Mr AYRTON supported the amendment. Mr Alderman ItOSE was proceeding to address the house in support of the bill, and against the adjournment of the debate,'when Mr A YRTON rose to order, and directed the attention of the Speaker to the circumstance that there were not forty members present. The right hon. gentleman, having counted the house, ascertained that there were only thirty members present, and SO the house stood adjourned at one o'cloek. CHARGE OF CONSPIRACY, Yesterday Emile Werner, a Frenchman, aged 27, residing at Richmond, and who had been arrested on a warrant, was brought before Alderman Hale at the Justice-room of the I Mansion-house, charged with conspiring with others to de fraud Messrs Legrand, Tanco, and Co., bankers and mer. chants in Paris, of goods of the value of from £25,000 to £30,000. Gustave Lheman, one of the persons with whom the prisoner is accused of conspiring, is now in custody on a charge of forging bills of exchange to the amount of £4,300 and upwards, under circumstances which were partly stated in evidence at the Mansion -house police-court on Wednes day, and one Arend and others not in custody are the other parties alleged to be implicated in the charge of conspiracy. Mr Lewis, jun., conducted the examination, having first related the circumstances under which the charge of con spiracy was preferred, as they were afterwards proved in evidence. The parties, he said, accused both of the alleged conspiracy and of the forgeries, were all foreigners, and the case against the prisoner Werner bad this peculiar aggrava tion, that he was a confidential servant of the firm whom he was accused of conspiring to defraud. He acted as their agent in London for the sale of merchandise, principally silks, in which capacity he received a salary of £2OO, with a commission, which probably increased it to £6OO or £7OO. His principals were persons of long standing and great respecta bility in the city of Paris, and they had given him almost unlimited power to purchase goods for them in the French markets, but had charged him, under no circumstances, to dispose of them in London to any but houses of established repute, or without consulting certain gentlemen of commer cial eminence in the City of London whom they named, and to whom they themselves had been long known. Mr Lewis then, in some detail, stated the manner in which the prisoner was alleged to have lent himself, in spite of those injunctions, to defraud his employers in a couple of months of that large amount of property, acting for that purpose with persons whom he designated as swindlers, and who had afterwards sold part of it at 50 per cent. less than the invoice price, and had pledged the rest with money changers. He adverted to the importance of such a case to a commercial community like that of the city of London, and he bespoke the earnest attention of the Bench to the circumstances which would be given in evidence. Mr Nicolas Tanco Anger°, whom he called, said—l am one of the firm of Legrand, Tanco, and Co., of 11, Ruo Bergere, Paris, bankers and merchants, In May, 1863, the prisoner Werner was introduced to me in Paris, and very highly recommended by an old established house, and we engaged him to act as our agent in London, at a salary of from 4,000 f, to 5,000 f., besides a commission of 1 per cent. on the sales he effected, and the payment of all expenses connected with the trade. We took an office in Cheapside, and I directed him to proceed to London, to take with him samples of all our different commodities and goods, princi pally silks, and to endeavour to trade with some of the best houses, a list of which was handed to him. Before trans mitting orders, however, to us, he was to consult with a few respectable firms in the city to whom we introduced him as to the commercial standing and respectability of the parties. I presented him myself to some of those houses for that especial purpose. We told him, moreover, that he was to send us a monthly report of his sales and accounts, and to keep his accounts by double entry, and in other respects according to the usages of commerce. Between May and December of last year the pi isoner did very little business. I requested him by letter in December to furnish us with an account of his operations. He came to Paris in the begin ning of January last, and represented to the that business had begun to be promising, and that he had come with two buyers connected with respectable houses in London. I asicCd him to introduce them to me as I wanted to see them, but he de clined, on the ground that they were busy, and could not come to our office. He did noc th en t e ll me who they were. I had not asked their names. In the beginning of February last I came to London, and the prisoner then told me they Were Lheman and M. Arend. I directed him to inquire as to their solv,_ney. When he called on mo in Paris in L u o s n i d n o e nal business b l e through required the to have an (l a t l h a a r t g e h e stock must vhean it d i be fore the spring, as the London "season" would begin then, In January I gav e hi m directions to go to Lyons and Switz erland to purchase silk goods, He went, and there and in Paris he bought goods on our account to the amount of frcm £25,000 to X 30,000. He had unlimited power to buy. Those goods were all sent to our office in Cheapside, and before they could have arrived the prisoner, as our agent there, was disposing of them as fast as possible. They consisted of silks principally, of the value of about £16,000, about £2,000 worth of plush, some £2,000 worth of leather, and cotton goods to the amount of about £6,000. That is a rough calculation. He appears to have ordered everything that he was likely to realize in money. The goods were purchased at the best manufactories, and on very advan tageous terms. I have since paid for all of them except a few trifles. So lately as Saturday last I paid about £3,000 in respect of them. It having come to our knowledge that a quantity of leather of a peculiar kind had been offered for sale to Messrs. Bevington, of Cannon-street, at an ex tremely low price, our suspicions were excited, and my partner wrote to the prisoner on the sth February charging him to observe the greatest caution with regard to the houses with which he dealt, and to have no transactions with any one unless he had a satisfactory reference. Believing the goods offered at such low prices to Messrs. Bevington were some which the prisoner had disposed of to other parties who had not paid for them, the prisoner was directed to go imme diately to Messrs. Bevington's, and to take a lien on them, requesting them at the same time not to pay to the sellers until we ourselves had been paid. Just before that the prisoner had written to us stating he had sold all his goods. It was not from him that we had heard the leather had been offered to Messrs. Bevington at low prices. Up to sold January last the p r i soner had not furnished us with the m e buyers, and we had th en no t t h e least idea goods to Lheman o r A ren d . W e expected his customers would] have been large respectable nas that of he h had s houses. lat once came to London, arriving on Feb. 7. I saw the prisoner and spoke to him about the goods offered to Messrs. Bevington. He replied that the buyers with whom he had dealt always paid him beforehand, and that there was nothing to fear. He explained that the leather had been offered to Messrs. Bevington with the view only of proving that it had not been bought too dearly at Paris. I believe Messrs. Bevington did not buy any of it. On Feb. 8, I learned the names of his buyers from the prisoner. I asked him for a list of all his buyers and the amounts they owed. I put down abotia dozen names, and among them those of Lheman and Arend. I made inquiries, and with respect to those two, having been told that they were not worth £2OO, I told him he was not to trust them for any fur ther amount. He said he would not, but at the same time he was sure they would pay to the last farthing. Hs said he had known Lheman for many years in Paris, that he was very honest, and that M. Devaux, a French banker in Lon don had recommended him. He told me he had seen Lhe man receive £9,000 in exchange for a packet of bills. He said also that Lhetaan had introduced him to Arend. He afterwards stated that a man named Leo had introduced him to Arend. I saw Leo outside the police-station when Lheman was given into custody. I had looked at the prisoner's books, and, finding them in a state of the greatest confusion, I begged him to employ a bookkeeper at once. The prisoner replied that it was very difficult to find one in London, but that he had spoken to a Belgian whom he knew, and should shortly have the advantage of his services. Before returning to Paris I saw Lheman (who is now in custody on a charge of forgery), and told him it was necessary we should have some settlement of the large amount he owed us—£6,ooo or £7,ooo—and that we must draw on him for part of the debt. lie said he was a great merchant, that he had sent consignments to different pa its of the world, especially the Cape and the Mauritius. He said he had sent many goods to Australia, and that he had written to all parts ask ing for money more than £2o,ooo—but that none had yet arrived. He at first objected to our drawing bills upon him, but at last consented that we should do so for £2,000, adding that he would pay the remainder in May. The prisoner was then present, and heard all the conversation. After we had left Lheman's office he sail he regretted very much that I had made that arrargemeat with Lheman, because he was sure I would have teen paid the whole debt by the middle of April. This was on the Bth of February, and I gave directions to the prisoner that Lheman was to have no fur ther credit until he paid what he owed. Lheman was at that time occupyi ng two small rooms on a first floor at 140, Fencheurch-street, end I only saw one man there as a clerk, poorly dressed. When we came out the prisoner, observing that I was not satiated with his having given such large credit to a person so circumstanced, said I was not to judge by appearance, for Lheman was a partner in one of the first houses in London. The prisoner did not afterwards tell me that on that vary day, Feb. 8, he had supplied to Lheman £2,128 worth of goods, and on the 11th £796 worth, or nearly £3,000 worthein all, contrary to my express instructions, There is no entry inhis bock of those goods having been supplied, or any of tlem. Oct the 9th I meet Arend at my office in Cheapside, tie prisoner observing that he wished to afford me the pleasure of his acquaintance as one of his principal customers. On that occasion Arend said he bought large quantities of gods of other London houses for con signment, but that le certainly preferred our houses because we were Selling him goods on very advantageous terms. (A. laugh.) He added that he was waiting for some silks that had been ordend for him by Mr Werner (the pri soner) from Lyons. these orders were stopped by us at once, and the prisoner blaned us very much for having done so. Arend said he had iitended to ship the goods to different countries. I told lim, however, that we could not sell him any more, and hat he must settle his accounts in the same manner as other customers—by bills that we should draw upon lim at once. He then owed us £5,000 or £6,000. He pronieed to accept a bill for £2,000. The day after this intervew, though I had told the prisoner not to give Arend creditfor a tingle farthing more, he supplied Arend with goods t 4 the amount of £1,179, On Feb. 14 I returned from Parte., and between that time and the 20th prisoner forwarded lo me there acceptances of Arend for £3,000, of Lheman for £3,000, and of a man named Lindner, whom Lheman had ncommended to me, for £1,200. Those bills were payable inApril, but we returned them to him on Feb. 20, on the ground that we had found it impossible to negotiate them. In an accompanying letter we charged the prisoner not to give trecht to Lheman and Co., Arend, or to Lindner for a.greatr sum than £500; and that to justify risks of considerablesums they must be incurred only with respectable houses, yell• established, and whose acceptances we should find no difficulty in negotiating. On Feb. 23 the prisoner wrote us a Dtter, in which he said " I an, going to tell you what I have done. Arend has plenty of money, but he does not wish t' pay any yet. His reason is that he wants some more htods, and seeing clearly that we dont wish to give him more credit he does not see why he should pay. Lheman says the same. They all reply thus to my questions, 'Do yot think we have thousands of pounds sterling to give youevery time you ask ?' For the future I will conform in at parts to your instructions, and as re gards the present 1 close the credit with these men." That letter was written by the prisoner on Feb. 23, and betwen Feb. 27 and March 8 he supplied Arend, unknown to us, with £7,000 north of goods. On the 15th or 16th of March I returned to London. and had all the prisoner's books made up byan accountant. I found that Lheman was indebted to us to the amount of £12,000, though the prisoner's books on .y showed from £B,OOO to £lO,OOO. As soon as I arrived I told the prisoner that I wanted to see if Lheman could r ay his bill for £2,000 due on the 2d of April. He said Lheman had positively pro mised to pay him from £4,000 to £5,000 in a few days. The day the prisoner told me that I received a letter from our house in Paris stating that a gentlemen named Devaux had called there arid said that Lh eman was not able to he meet his bill. I a ft erwar d s saw Lheman, when h e said of could not pay, b ut if I wou l d renew the bill un til the 2d June he would m ee t it t h en. I did not acce d e t o that re quest, and told:hun he must give us s ecurity forthe took sum he owed us, upon w hi c h h e opened his iron c h es t, and out a lot of bills o f exc h ange for a b out £3 , 000, which he handed to me, and w hi c h I have since foun d t o be worth less.and The bills h ave now b een pa i d, t h oug h o verdue, Lheman still ow es me £1 2, 0 00. Ho i s no w in iin custody on a charge of utt er i ng fi ve o f these bill s , a nions gto £4,393 odd, knowing them to be forged. Mr Lewis appli e d t o l ava t h e pr i sone r remanded, ob serving that his c li en t, M . T anco Amero, in instituting this prosecution h a d no t th e s li g ht es t expectation of getting a single shilling o f hi s money b ac k, a nd that he was sol e ly animated by public considerations, having regard to the protection of commerce. •Mr Wontner, jun., f or th e prisoner, said he hoped on a future occasion to be Was to give an entirely different com plexion to this matter. Mr Alderman H a le, replying that it would be up -hi ll work, remanded the prisoner, and peremptorily refused to entertain an application to admit him to bail inthe interim. Crystal Palace—Projected Thames Tunne: Railway, Mr Bowl ey, " genera l manager From e o v f i d the e n c C o r y given p 9 al e a s e t e e before Lord St an l ey ' s com e had been op ene d ( on t h e a :h b a y t during that period it persons, exclusive of th e cora • previousmitt e , i t day) )eaerxeade exactly t t e the e years;paladc had been visited by 15,266,91 2 pany's staff, exhibitors, and their assistants, &c., which would have brought the numbers up to nearly seventeen millions and a half. Mr Bowley's evidence also went to show that although there had been a considerable increase in the population of the north-east of London, according to the last census, it had been much larger in the southern districts. He in stanced Penge as having, between 1851 and 1861, increased 329 per cent., Sydenham 135 per cent., and Plumstoad and Charlton 150 per cent,, Mr Bowley's evidence further went to show that a junc tion between the north and south of London, east of Lon don-bridge —such as was proposed by the Tunnel line —was an absolute necessity ; and that it would be a great boon to the inhabitants of the poorer districts lying to the north and north-cast of the metropolis. 3 _ It also transpired in evidence, that in addition to the pre sent communication with the palace via Kensington, Vic toria, and London-bridge stations, that the high level line now forming in front of the palace would be open for traffic by the let of May next year, when, by arrangement with the South-Eastern hallway and other companies, direct access to the palace would also be had from Blacariars, Cannon street, Charing-cross, and whole the system of main lines of the:South-Eastern and South-Western companies. ' Mr Bowley pointed out to the committee that the promo. tion of these lines and junctions had very much occupied his attention during the past six years, and that he regarded the formation of the present proposed line, crossing the river by means of the Thames Tunnel,.'as:the completion of a perfect system of metropolitan and provincial communica tion with the Crystal Palace, and that by these means all the great lines would have direct access to it, and the in convenience of the present termini both in London and at the Crystal Palace might be obviated, and any number of persons might visit the palace on crowded days in comfort and safety, SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. On Thursday Mr. H. C. E. Childers, M.P., the newly appointed Lord of the Admiralty, accom panied by Mr. H. W. R. Walker, paid his first official visit of inspection to Chatham Dockyard, at which establishment he was occupied several hours in the examination of the labour system of accounts and returns inaugurated by Mr. Stansfeld, and which since its introduction has been attended with the most satisfactory results. Mr Childers also spent some time in a survey of the dockyard extension works, in progresss at St. Mary's Island, and like wise inspected the new barracks in course of erec tion by Messrs. Foord and Sons, for the Royal Marines, Mr Rivers, the Admiralty clerk of works at Chatham, accompanying his lordship during his tour of inspection. The operation of testing, by means of hydraulic pressure, the engines, boilers, condensers, and other portions of the machinery of the iron-plated frigate Achilles, 35, 1,250• horse power, took place at Chatham on Wednesday, on tht occasion of Rear- Admiral J. R. Drummond, C. 8., one of the Lords of the Admiralty, Rear-Admiral S. Robinson, Con troller, Mr. Reed, Chief Constructor, and other efiwials, making an inspection of the vessel. The trials were under the direction of Mr. Wigzell, who represented the firm of Messrs. John Penn and Sons, the makers of the engines, and were most severe, the boilers and: engines being tested to a pressure of 401 b, and the condensers to 251 b to the square inch, at which not the slightest defect could be discovered. Admiral Drummond, together with the Controller and Chief Constructor, spent a considerable time on board the Achilles in the inspection of that vessel, which, in consequence of the amount of work still remaining to be completed, will not be ready to pro ceed to sea for some three months to come. The entertainment on board her Majesty's ship Victory, referred to in The Sun of Wednesday, was not given by the officers of that ship. The hosts were the captain, Francis Scott, C. 8,, and Mrs. Scott, who on the occasion entertained nearly 400 of their friends, The following appointments have been made at the Ad miralty—W, C. Forrest, nominated to a naval cadetship; E. B. D'Arcy, second master, additional, to the Boscawen for the Ferret ; W. S. Chambre, master's assistant, to the Fox; H. Knight, engineer, to the Fisgard for the Landrail ; James Dalton, en gineer, to the Hawke for the Tenders; John Crew, supernumerary in the Asia, promoted to first class assist, engineer ; and William J. Ray, acting second class assist. engineer, to the Asia, as supernumerary. THE ARMY. A general order has been received at the Royal Engineer establishment, Chatham, from the Horse Guards, in which the Duke of Cambridge directs that the issue of the metal gabions of Capt. Tyler's and Quartermaster Jones's patterns is to be discon tinued until further orders. This order has been given in consequence of its having come to the knowlege of the Field Marshal Commanding-in- Chief that particles of iron from each of the above descriptions of gabions were scattered with such force into the interior of the battery at some recent experiments with 12-pounder field-guns against em brasures lined with the metal gabions as to mani fest clearly that gabions of those patterns are inap propriate for that particular application in rivetting embrasures, traverses, and other places exposed to direct fire. Orders have been received at Chatham garrison for the firat detachment of volunteers of the Royal Engineers for service in India to embark at Graves end on Tuesday next, the 14th inst„ for Madras, to replace the late East India Company'a Engineers, who have been broken up, The men selected for this service have been taken from the depot and other companies at headquarters, and the whole are complete in their surveying and field-work instruc Lion. The detachments for Calcutta and Bombay wia embark c lrly in the ensuing, month, A circular memorandum, addressed to the army at home, has been promulgated from the Horse Guards, stating that the appointment of Professor of Military History and. Art at the Staff College is vacant ; and that the Field Marshal Commanding in-Chief desires that commanding officers will send not later than the 10th July next, the applications of such officers as feel themselves qualified for the situation. The ship Middlesex, 1,191 tons, one of Mr George Marahall's London fLet, Capt. C. Cammell, R.N.R., arrived at Spithead early yesterday morning from Calcutta and St. Helena, with the following troops and passengers on board—Major -General Carmichael Smith, lady, and two children ; Capt. Martin, 38th Foot (in charge of troops on board), Mrs. Martin, and three children; Capt. Dagleish, 71st Highlanders ; Lieut. Brydges, R.A., Mrs. Brydges, child, and native servant ; Lieut. Cowburn, 52d Regiment; Lieut. Dobbins, 6th Europeans, Mrs. Dobbins and two children ; Surg. Bogle, M.D., Her Majesty's Indian army, in medical charge of troops on board ; two Misses Sages and Mr. Thomp. son ; 6 sergeants, 119 rank and file, and 1 drummer, with 6 women and 28 children invalided from various regiments serving in India. Three men, time ex pired, with one woman and four children, embarked at St. Helena. Five invalided soldiers, two women, and one child died during the voyage home. The Middlesex sailed from Calcutta on the 18th of Fe bruary, and from St. Helena on the 25th of April. Since leaving the latter place she has experienced a succession of light winds, chiefly from the eastward. On the ship's arrival at Spithead being notified at the Quartermaster-General's office at Portsmouth yester day morning the necessary steps were at once taken by the present indefatigable Assist. -Quartermaster- General, Cot. L. Shad well, for their disembarkation, and by 2 p.m. the invalids were received at the Royal Victoria Mhitary Hospital at Netley, the time-expired men in quarters on shore at Ports- ..nouth, and the ship under way at Spithead, re suming her voyage for London to discharge a large general cargo she has on board from Calcutta, The Metropolitan Board of Works. Tho usual weekly meeting of this board was held yester• terday, at the offices in S pring -gardens. The President J. Thwaitos, Esq., took the chair at twelve o'clock. FINANCE. The cash statement for the current week shows a total general balance of £167,243 Gs 4cl. THE PROPOSED NEW ROAD FROM TOTTENHAM-COURT- ROAD TO CRANDOS-STREET. A report was brought up from the streets committee recommending that the proposition of the Hampstead, dee., Railway Company, to limit the formation of the proposed street, from Tottenhana•court-ro a d to Chandos-street, be acceded to, provided the company construct the street 60 feet wide, and widen Buckingham-street from the Strand to Duke-street, to 30 feet, and undertake to pay a sum to be agreed upon, for any land, or interest in land, on, over, or connected with the embankment, which the company may require. The recommendation of the committee was, after some discussion, adopted. REPORT FROM THE THAMES EMBANKMENT COMMITTEE. A report was sent up from this committee, stating that they had received the following offer from the Metropolitan District Railway Company, viz. :—That they should be allowed to construct their railway from the commencement of the embank ment at Westminster to Cannon-street, in the City, under the proposed embankment and new street, upon payment to this board of £300,000 ; the board to pay all compensation involved directly or indirectly by reason of the constructiose of the embankment and railway between the above-men'ioned places, but to be allowed to construct their low level sewer from Cannon-street to Great Tower street, under the intended railway, without paying any com pensation to the company ; and recommending—that tile offer be not acceded to, and that the solicitor be instructed to take all necessary steps for sustaining the principle of the payment by tho railway company to this board of the sum of £OO,OOO ; for the right of constructing their line along the Thames embankment and that portion of the new street between Blackfriars-bridge and Cannon -street; the railway company to pay all compensation to the City Gas Company and other parties whose property may be affected by any alteration in the embankment works, consequent upon the construction of the company's line along the em bankment, and to d e f ray th o cost of all alterat i ons an d di versions of sewers and other works rendered necessary by the construction of the railway and other works in connec tion therewith , an d agreeing to enter into suc h arrangements as may be sa ti s f actory to the Board, f or i n d e mnifying them against any liabilities which may arise from any alteration in the con' . acts entered into for the construction of the Thames emankment works, agreeably to the terms of Mr Fowler's letter addressed to the engineer of the board, a n d dated April 20, 1864. The recommendation of the committee was adopted. After disposing of the routine business the board ad iourned, TIMES.—When Lord Clanricarde aseerted, in Thursday's debate, that if a stop had been put to the export of men from this country to the Federal States the American war would have been stopped also, he said no more than has been repeatedly said b; President Davis himself, and other officers of the Southern Government. Nothing has appeared harder or more inequitable to the Confederates than that we should allow their enemies to import soldiers for the war; and if we look at the actual course of affairs weshall have no difficulty in under standing the feelings of the Southern peamle. They were largely outnumbered to begin with, even if Americans only had been matched against Ameri cans, without the introduction of foreign troops. This disparity, however, they have compensated by their greater unanimity, their stronger convictions, and superior military aptitudes; but whereas one of the best chances in their favour consisted in the probable exhaustion of their adversary, they see or believe themselves deprived of this hope by the arrival of mercenaries from neutral States to relieve their native enemies of the work of war. We have only to look at President Lincoln's Proclamations and at the successive threats of conscription to see that of all commodities in America men are now the most valuable, and yet it is with these that we, a neutral nation, ht ve been constantly supplying the stronger belligerent of the two. All this makes the soreness of the South and the dissatisfaction ofmany persons in this country perfectly intelligible ; but we are convinced, nevertheless, that the importance of the alleged facts have been greatly over-esti mated, and that even if the case were otherwise it would not invite that violent remedy which Lord Clanricarde does not hesitate to suggest. The Federals, as we believe, can have obtained but an insignificant portion of their fighting men from these islands, and if they obtained twice the number we could not reasonably make it, under the circumstances a case of war. It was but yesterday that we published some Ameria can statistics purporting to give an authentic account of the levies made for the service of the Federal armies from 1861 to the spring of the pre sent year, and exhibiting a total of more than 2,000,000 men, or about 700,000 for each year since the commencement of the war. We have no reason to doubt the accuracy of these figures, but, as they only profess to represent the "calls," and not the numbers which the " calls" produced, we might probably be justified in makingsome abatement from the amount. Still,if we look to the returns of Grant's army recently furnished by our correspondent, and remember that this force is only one of three large armies actually in the field, exclusive of numerous garrisons, we shall be led to the conclusion that the numbers enlisted must have approximated pretty closely to the numbers called for, or such enormous hosts could never be maintained. Grant had under his own command in the main body of the army of the Potomac 218,000 men ; his colleagues Butler and Sigel had, respectively, 35,000 and 30,000 ; as many as 10,000 cavalry were engaged on special duties, and 28,000 negroes had been armed and equipped for such service as they could render. These blacks were attached to the armies of Grant and Burnside, but Gen. Butler had also a certain portion under his command. Altogether, however, it does not appear that more than 30,000, or at the utmost 35,000, of these auxiliaries entered into the composition of the army, so that least 280,000 white soldiers were supplied from some source or other for Grant's forces alone. Bearing this in mind, let the reader observe what the Emigration Commissioners have just reported of the events of last year. It was in Ireland that Federal enlistments were supposed to be most actively prosecuted, and from Ireland it was thought that the great body of recruits was drawn. But the total emigration from Ireland to America during the year 1863 gives but 94,477 souls, and of these but 36,083 were single men, even if we reckon in that class boys of 12 years old. It is obvious, therefore, that the Commi ss i oners i n ca l cu l at i ng at 25,000 the number of possible recruits for the North ern armies have pushed the estimate as far as it could be carried, and what, we ask, are 25,000 men among the immense totals of the Federal demand P We do not know that all these men, or even the half of them, actually enlisted. We only know that this was the whole number of likely subjects for enlists ment, whereas 360,000 men at the least must have been enrolled in 1863 before the Federal armies could have been raised to the strength in which they have taken the field this year. We readily admit that a contingent of 20,000 or even 10,000 men would be extremely valuable, and, what is more, the very knowledge and prospect of this supply would encourage the North in its resolution to con tinue the war; but with such figures as we have had before us it is impossible to assume that either Irish or German immigrants have formed, up to the present time, any large element in the American armies. Eighty percent. of these troops must have been Americans, either native or naturalised. Lord Clanricarde tells a very different story of the emi gration going on at this minute, but such are the returns for 1863. The fact is that the sustainable points against the Federals lie in a very small com pass. It is easy to understand what they have been doing. Pressed for men, and casting about in every quarter for recruits, they have not only made what they could out of Irish emigration, but have done their best to encourage it. We may take it for granted that they have sailed pretty near the wind, and that what their agents have now and then done was what we should have been disposed to stop. But who is to gainsay the arguments available for the purpose ? If it is an nounced that men are greatly wanted in America, that labour is excessively scarce, and wages incre dibly high, who can deny the facts If it is added that the men are not wanted for soldiers, but to supply the place of those who become soldiers, who can dispute the statement ? And if, when the emi grants have sailed on these representations and with these prospects, they, nevertheless, do take service in the Federal armies, who can say that they had no right to change their minds ? These are the cir cumstances which render interference almost im practicable. We can only act when there is a plain case for action, and that is what we have done. It is beyond denial that the recruiting agents in Ame rican ports have seized upon certain emigrants cn their arrival and have forced them into the ranka of the army. The unfortunate creatures were enticed across the Atlantic by the promise of good employ ment, and kidnapped by crimps as soon as they landed. But these proceedings have formed the ground of strong protests on the part of our Minister at Washington, and they have not been justified by the United States Government. For the rest there was really no difference of opinion between the speakers on Thursday evening. Lord Brougham and Lord Russell spoke of the war itself exactly as Lord Clanricarde did, and it has now been made sufficiently notorious that the provisions of interna tional law combine to give extraordinary advantages to one of the belligerents. But this is merely an accident of national position. What the South most wants cannot be lawfully supplied, and that the North can get all it desires without infraction of law or usage. This state of things is very fortunate for the Federals, and very unfortunate for the Con federates, but it cannot be helped. We can only apply the law as it stands. We can supply either belligerent with munitions of war, and we do so. We cannot supply either with ships of war, and so the belligerent needing ships of war fares the worse for the prohibition. We can prevent enlistment in this country, but we cannot prevent the emigra tion of men who may enlist as soon as they get across the ocean. If the Southern ports were open, the Confederates might receive these importations as well as the Federals, but the blockade des prives them of the chance. All this enables the North to obtain far more from our neutrality than the South, but the result was unavoidable. It is not due to favour or to partiality, but to accident alone. We can only stop such proceedings as are illegal— that is to say, in the instance before us, enlishment only, and not emigration. If emigration ends in enlistment afterwards, that is an event beyond our control. POST.—We doubt if any person ever was present at the proceedings of one of those numerous com mittees appointed by the House of C o mmons to investigate the merit s o f some new project for cutting a canal or co ns t ruct i ng a ra il way , or carryingtothe out some other schem e requ i r ing the cumbrous, convinced nl andci.vi of a morenced Legislature, with ou t beingore thorog that a more costly, a m unsatisfactory method of attaining the awit of given m e a e n d . could not have been devised by A number of gentlemen, selected by chance from the muss of our elective legislators, without possess ing any but the most superficial ciagl ignorant tedor theof dthee. rules of evidence , , profoundly tails of the merits of the project on which they w ill be called upon to expre ss an opinion, meet d after day, hear everything which can be urged either in favour of or against the proposed scheme, and, finally, strike a balance between conflict• ing interests, and seek to do substantial jus tice by recording their approval or disapproba tion of the measure before them. Theoretically the project is supposed to be submitted to the entire House; but in practice the committee in. tqhuairfeoirnmteeri,tain the generality and, having made their report, generality of cases, confirms it. The entire theory of investigation by Parliamentary committees proceeds upon the assumption that, as itis in the hand s o f P ar li amen t th a t th e power resides of sanctioning or rejecting all schemes which in their execution affect largely the interests of the public, it is indispensable that members of the Legislature should themselves personally investi gate their merits. When, for example, a railway project is submitted by its promoters to Parliament, the House of Commons is ready to accept the report G, JUNE 11, 1864. Naval and Military Intelligence, THE NAVY. ----- reference to the probable results of sanctioni n g. ni a d e investigatedbyasel t e h c e t neuvmidbeenreeofaciitdsumceedmbbeefrosrwe hthoemhati scheme, whereas it will not act upon the opinio of men perhaps better fitted than its own m embe t . to determine the point at issue. Whether 0 : assumption on which this practice is based is . , which is reasonable, and whether the practice is elf its.c w o e n r d e u c t ihvee pointsto th the raised interests by of Lo the rd n p . large, t This is not the first occasio s evening. motion on which tar under system has been brought our legislative of Commons, it having alread, notice of the House furnished subject -mete ter for consideration to expediency of this singular adjunct special meeting. The tee • and the resolution o peielished a short time sin,,la rensibly couched' the member for Stamford wee ne. . r of that repot public accordance with the general teneete e There are two points of view fret ma y be re ort of this cohmicttttheee mu chinery of Parliamentary committees e ee tb garded. namely, in reference to its beaeeee i s 0 interests of the public, a n d on those of mers.oi9.l Parliament. R egar d e d i n t h e f or mer lighty Jeio R. Cecil condemn e d th e sys t em as haling to s ee i e the ends for which it was es t a bli s hed ; regareeeeing the latter, he equally disapprovedof it as il t3 P ° ,, ae s upon private members a great and unneccest amount of labour. Dismissing for the nicnealeis consideration of the former class of o bjectione , • l o , unquestionable teat o f late years p r ivate Paelje ea atn e tary business has increased to an exten t which ders the office of member of Parliament somethl far different from th a t easy s i necure w hich the large majority of the p u bli c b e li eve i t to b e . Of the b oat ' coun_"l„ nees transacted in the committee rooms the learns nothing, and not a few suppose that eeir ee tonal duties consist in little else than hei n g e l t ) a nt sent in " the House" on the occasion of imports divisions. The first of the objections taken by t ee R. Cecil to the present system rested ul 3 ° o n .,, e t ground that, as the public business of Par l 't te re was, to say the least of it, of as important a ne ro d as that which, for the sake of distinction, is t er oc e. private, it was indispensable to introduce each : ov a fications as would enable the members of the ' e the of Commons to discharge the former as well as s. latter class of duties. That, under the existi n e er ee, tern, the public business is neglected, he a ve.- ce was the evening sittingstheasdemonstratedbyof b tetauocitHyoeu andfeeTe bat te t ad e " at a, creasing frequency o f " countseout. " T o the gage s ral modus operandi o f Parliamentary conelnitteesata raised those objections which have again a lld e :fed, been advanced, and which, it must be C O te n 'e - e s er have never been satisfactorily answered. er ea st competency of the tribunal, the unreaesoffah' e , ere st incurred by the proceedings, the manifest inie uc e which every one professionali engaged befog s to committees has in protracting the inquire') ° d ate r° wearisome, and not unfr equen tl y irrelevant, rj-ear• of the details elicited, were all in turn cited se the nishing the most cogent reasons for reforming or present mode of investigation by Parliamenta r y c o ot mittees. The evils, t o sa y t h e truth, are traneP o f e ' o enough, and their d emonstrat i on was a neetter; great difficulty • but unfort una t e l y th e remedy a p , which Lord R. Cecil proposed t o eradicate th en 7 t o pears by no means so well calculated to en en cieeg proposed end as i ts sangu i ne originator evaet t t he to believe. 'With the fundam en t a l principle,"7g" of House of Com mons must i n the last resort Julese the expedi e n c y or ot h erw i se of sanctioning ',re, miscellaneous projects which are embodied , irj r f're; vats bills, Lord R. Cecil did not pre•pose to inL e— f e cts he merely suggested that a large tress of on which, under the present mode of the e e pTC& d , ll , r i f ie, Parliamentary committee is called upon to " rt ific might be determined by arbitrators or se' ab• witnesses appointed by the promoters ° f, , a . l , 3 e neett , jectors to, the measure submitted to Paree.l-00 Although, however, the member for Staml nr " le able to cite f rom exper i ence examples or I s : ia which committees had been occupied for ' A % ea determining facts w hi c h might, by the o n "; des proposed, have easily and expeditiously h e , n e - pe of sided, he was unable to give the house any De - ea ld the manner in which in future those feet' nm e - e ts. be left for the decision of arbitrators or effl i e,i t e Nor ought the difficulty to have occasioned earl, any surprise, if he reflected that a Parliarootf a committee virtually exercises the functions t l ioe jury; that everything submitted for its considered, be is purely a question of fact; and that it w o° ae i just as impo ss ibl e t o d etermine before h an d by fixed rules wh a t quest i ons a comm i ttee should reed to arbitration as to d e fi ne w h at f acts a j u ry Sa take for granted because particular witnesses clivr. to depos e t o th em. Th e question, after s li p as Milner Gibson pointed out, resolves itself into tb' s e Is the subject matter of a railway scheme, or s° o f similar project, to be investigated by the Hen'' ~,,0 Commons or not ? If the latter, then the In s . abandons to some other tribunal its legislative in`e, tions,. but if the former, then a Parliamentary ctl; mittee must itself sift the evidence up an y v tiico bases its recommendations. Private bill legislati ° ' is simply l aw - ma ki ng of an exceptional kind, 9%d law making must, un d er a ll c i rcumstances, he; laborious task. Th e l eg i s l ator cannot consistent'',, delegate his duties to another. But although ,- scheme such es th a t suggested b y Lord R. Ctce-1 cannot be adopted, many i mportant reforms II ) , s h ' e with ease be effected in the present system. expense attendant on Parliamentary inquiries ie fn e e gross publi c scan d a l ; and we think that, if see, means were adopt e d b y w hi c h the cost o f t h es e 1 0 : vestegations was materially diminished, Parliarnene tary agents and counsel would do their work ni n fi r e expeditio us ly ; an d thus much profitless ig h° would be saved t o th ose w h ose d uty i t i s to Sit „"ti Parliamentary committees. COUNTRY MARKETS. LIVERPOOL—FRIDAY. There was a very poor attendance to-day of the t 9 t ro and country tr a d e , an d b o th w h eat an d fl our met niod small business, at Id to 2d per cen t a l an d 6d per Wa re ai r sack lower on th e wee k. I n di an corn met a f a i r con tive inquiry at 31 per qr decline. Beans were scarc e ' ie advanced fully Gd per q r . Barley and p. eas unchanged an price, but steady. O ats and oatmeal are both dull, - the turn lower. STAMFORD—FRIDAY. e' White wheat, 40 s t o 44 s ; red, 38s to 40s per qg stonqr. Barley, malting, 32 s to :34s ; grinding, 26s to 289 3 5 fl ex Oats, 18s to 22s p er 24 stone. Beans, old, 34 0 to r qr. ; new, 36s to —s. LINCOLN—FRIDAY. wig Os White wheat new, 40s:to 43s Barley, grinding.. ~, - t° )6 to '2 9 ' Red do. 37s to 40s Oats, old . .... :--' 230 Old white .... t Y . .. 19s to .• • •—•l3 o—s New.do .......... 411 , 28 8 to Red do.. — s to —s 1 Beans.. .......... ~ to s6A Barley, malting 32s to 34s 1 Beans, new...... 313 WAKEFIELD—FRIDAY. si: The wheat trad e was d u ll to -d ay, w i t h only aerialbao ness, factors n o t b e i ng di spose d to ma k e an y cession in prices. B eans an d oats were rat h e r dearer.mat retail Averages for the week : Wheat 2,075 qrs., at 42s 31d O __ E , ci Rye — Ear1ey......... 49 Oats 0a..... s Beans .... Peas .... 100 CORK—Tau :11SDAY. R e d The following were the quotations this morning :".". 7e wheat, 8s Od to 8s 10(1; white, 8s Od to 9s Bd, bi r un i i to ld to Os Od ; oats, G s 4d t o G s id ; bl ac k do., os 5s Bd. l'ersons in dobt may obtain instant protection agai o ! imprisonment or seizure of their goods, and an entire rcleits' from all debts and' liabilities without publicity, by applicatto o to Messrs. Marsha►ll, solicitors of the Court of Bankruptcy' Charges under £5 payable by easy instalments. Offices - ' (established 1830),1:', Hatton -garden. City branch _6, Dor , gate-street, Bank.— ..4.13vT. Births. FORTESCrE,On the , 9th inst., at 17, Bruton• s t ree t, tho C oun tess Fortescue, of a daughter. H EAD .—On the 9th inist., at 6, Park-road, Stoke Nov ivr I\ ll l r t s h . e H 9 e t n h ry i n ii s t in , 8., Y on, Mrs. Henry H ea d, o f a son, K E a at 37, Se mour-streot, ,ton' quG— of a daughter. t h e wife SAYTE.—On th e B t h inst ~ at Clayton Wickham) equate, 0 of Captain Sapte, of a son. HENEAGE.—HARE.— Marriages. On the 9th inst.,at St. Georg Hanover-square, Edward Heneage, Esq , late 18 ' e Guards, of Hainton flail, Lincolnshire, e ' ldest son °" tb or late George Fiescho Hencage, Es Hare, daughter of the Countess and ' sister to the P re-- Earl of .Listowel. SULLIVAN.--CORMAC.-- On the Bth inst.,_ Rrecl license, Michael Sulliv an , Esq., M.P., of Lacua" O3O county Kilkenny, to Margaret Sabina, daughter of late Thomas Comae, Esq„ of the city of liilkennY. Deaths. Tv) , 110 Y BROOKS.—On the 7th in s t., at Whalley House, r Range, Manchester, Samuel Brooks, Esq., b ank aged 71. ear TIODGKINSON —On the 9th inst., at Warlinghanl , Croydon, Dame Ell en , th e w if e o Sir George Eth ll3- Hodgkinson. KiNcna:s-T.—On th e Bth inst,, at his residence Park Sall, near Oewestry, Ri c h ar d H enry Ki nchant, and Deputy Lieutenant of the county of Salop, aged 6.'t LESLIE. —On th e B t h i ns t . , at 2 , Abercorn - p l a ce, °L" j , Joha's-w oo d, H arr i e t t J ane, eldest daughter o f the '3 C. R. Leslie, Esq., R.A., aged 30. SIVABEY.—On the 9th inst., at Langley Mariell, B uck ' Maurice Swabey, Esq., aged 80. s• ' Sattrit.--On the Bth inst., at 23, Abbey-road, St. ‘,°— lart wood, Edward Smith, sq., aged 83. London: Printed and Peollshed by WILLIAM ANDRE-31 of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Titz Sur; Office U. 313, Strand, In the Precinct of the Savoy, n the Cou,Dty Middlesex,—Saturday, June 11, 1861.